If thou findest it so hard a matter now, thou shalt find it far harder then. For thy sin will wax stronger, thy strength will grow weaker, thy conscience will clog thee, pain will distract thee, the fear of death will amaze thee, and the visitation of friends will so disturb thee, that if thou be not furnished afore-hand with store of faith, patience and consolation, thou shalt not be able either to medi•ate thy self, or to hear the word of comfort from others; not to pray alone, nor to join with others who pray for thee. It may be thou shalt be taken with a dumb palsy, or such a deadly senselessness, that thou shall neither remember God, nor think upon thine own estate, and dost thou not well deserve, that God should forget to save thee in thy death, who art so unmindful now to serve him in thy life? the fear ⟨p. 132⟩of Death, will drive many at that time to cry,1 Lord, Lord, but Christ protesteth that he will not then know them for his: Yea, many shall then (like Esau) with tears seek to repent, 2and yet find no place of repentance. For Man hath not free-will to repent when he will, but when God will give him grace. And if Mercy showed her self so inexorable, that she would not open her gates to so tender suitors as Virgins, 3to so earnest suitors as kne•kers, because they knocked too late; How thinkest thou that she will ever suffer thee to enter her gates, being so impure a wretch, that never thinkest to leave sin, till sin first leaveth thee, and didst never yet knock with thine own fists upon the breasts of a penitent heart? and justly doth her grace deny to open the gates of Heaven, when thou knockest in thine adversity, who in thy prosperity wouldest not suffer Christ whilst he knocked, 4to enter in at the door of thy heart. Trust not either late repentance, or long life; not late repentance, because it is much to be feared, lest that the repentance, which the fear of Death enforceth, dies with a man dying. And the Hypocrite, who deceived others in his life, may deceive himself in his death. God accepteth none but free-will offerings, and the repentance that pleaseth him must be voluntary, and not of constraint. Not long life †for old age will fall upon the neck of youth: and as nothing is more sure than Death, so nothing is more uncertain than the ⟨p. 133⟩time of dying.
If thou find'st it so hard a matter now, thou shalt find it far harder then. For thy sin will wax stronger, thy strength will grow weaker, thy conscience will clog thee, pain will distract thee, the fear of death will amaze thee, and the visitation of friends will so disturb thee, that if thou be not furnished afore-hand with store of faith, patience and consolation, thou shalt not be able either to medi•ate thy self, or to hear the word of comfort from others; not to pray alone, nor to joyn with others who pray for thee. It may be thou shalt be taken with a dumb palsie, or such a deadly senselesness, that thou shall neither remember God, nor think upon thine own estate, and dost thou not well deserve, that God should forget to save thee in thy death, who art so unmindful now to serve him in thy life? the fear ⟨p. 132⟩of Death, will drive many at that time to cry,1 Lord, Lord, but Christ protesteth that he will not then know them for his: Yea, many shall then (like Esau) with tears seek to repent, 2and yet find no place of repentance. For Man hath not free-will to repent when he will, but when God will give him grace. And if Mercy shewed her self so inexorable, that she would not open her gates to so tender suitors as Virgins, 3to so earnest suitors as kne•kers, because they knocked too late; How thinkest thou that she will ever suffer thee to enter her gates, being so impure a wretch, that n•ver thinkest to leave sin, till sin first leaveth thee, and didst never yet knock with thine own fists upon the breasts of a penitent heart? and justly doth her grace deny to open the gates of Heaven, when thou knockest in thine adversity, who in thy prosperity wouldest not suffer Christ whilst he knocked, 4to enter in at the door of thy heart. Trust not either late repentance, or long life; not late repentance, because it is much to be feared, lest that the repentance, which the fear of Death enforceth, dies with a man dying. And the Hypocrite, who deceived others in his life, may deceive himself in his death. God accepteth none but free-will offerings, and the repentance that pleaseth him must be voluntary, and not of constraint. Not long life †
- 1Mat. 7. 22.
- 2Heb. 12. 17.
- 3Mat. 25. 11.
- 4Rev. 3. 20.
- †Nascentes morimur sinisque ab origine pendet, Et pubescentes juncta senecta premit Manil.
